First Endangered African Penguin Chick Expected to Hatch as soon as December 14

December 6, 2017 (Pittsburgh, PA) – The countdown is on for the hatching of two critically endangered African Penguin chicks, and with the installation of a high-resolution infrared penguin nest cam, the National Aviary is giving the public the opportunity to watch for their arrival in real time.

Accessible at www.PenguinNestCam.org, the nest cam provides an intimate view of the nesting cave located in the National Aviary’s Penguin Point exhibit, where Sidney and Bette, parents to three other sets of penguins hatched at the National Aviary in 2012, 2013 and 2015, are incubating a pair of eggs.

The eggs were laid on November 7 and 11. The first egg is expected to hatch between December 14 and 18, and the second egg is expected to hatch between December 18 and 22. In addition to viewing the chicks on the penguin nest cam, visitors to the National Aviary will be able to see the cave and catch glimpses of parents Sidney and Bette as they exchange nest tending duties.

If all goes as anticipated, the penguin chicks will remain in the nest for the first three weeks. They will then be moved inside to be cared for by National Aviary experts until they are old enough to return to their colony in Penguin Point, where they will join 20 other African Penguins. This special upbringing will ensure the chicks receive the highest standards of care possible and that they are prepared for their future roles as ambassadors for their species

“We are thrilled to give the public this inside view of the arrival of these rare chicks,” says National Aviary Executive Director Cheryl Tracy. “Our penguin nest cam provides outstanding camera clarity, and viewers will be able to see the chicks emerge, grow and be cared for by their parents. This is an important opportunity to raise awareness of a critically endangered species that is in rapid decline in the wild, and to learn about the work that the National Aviary is doing to care for and propagate African Penguins.”

African Penguins are listed as Endangered on The IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM species, with less than 25,000 pairs remaining the wild. As part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' (AZA) Species Survival Plan® (SSP), the National Aviary participates in a carefully monitored breeding program that works to ensure a healthy population of African Penguins for future generations.

The camera and installation services were generously donated by M&P Security Solutions, Inc., a veteran-owned business serving the Greater Pittsburgh Area.

“It is always exciting for us to be able to work on unique and challenging projects and even more special when these projects can be shared with such a wide audience,” says Patrick Preston and Jason Martin, co-owners of M&P Security Solutions. “Our company was afforded the opportunity to donate equipment and services to the National Aviary in a joint effort to share this amazing event with the community. The penguin camera goes a long way to showcase the outstanding work of the National Aviary and we are thrilled to be a part of it."

The National Aviary is America’s only independent indoor nonprofit zoo dedicated exclusively to birds. Located on Pittsburgh’s historic North Side, the National Aviary’s diverse collection comprises 500 birds representing more than 150 species from around the world, many of them threatened or endangered in the wild. The National Aviary’s large walk-through exhibits create an intimate, up-close interaction between visitors and free-flying birds, including opportunities to hand-feed and to meet many species rarely found in zoos anywhere else in the world. Hours of operation are 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. daily. For admission rates and more information visit www.aviary.org.